Props to Maestro

The Grammy’s seem early this year. It will air on Jan 31, 2010. After reading over the noms, I’m filled with apathy.  I actually have heard most of this music which says…nothing.  I will watch the show for the performances and for Album of the Year. I’m hoping DMB will finally get the recognition they deserve from their peers. I’m also excited for Maxwell.

I’ve listed a few categories below. I’m probably not going to do a breakdown of the Grammy’s this year because I don’t like the nominations…And I’m working on my Top 30 (or 40) singles of 09.

Album Of The Year

• I Am… Sasha Fierce – Beyonce

• The E.N.D. -  The Black Eyed Peas

• The Fame – Lady Gaga

• Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King – Dave Matthews Band

• Fearless – Taylor Swift

Song Of The Year

• Poker Face – Lady Gaga & RedOne, songwriters (Lady Gaga)

• Pretty Wings – Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)

• Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)

• Use Somebody – Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)

• You Belong With Me – Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Best New Artist

• Zac Brown Band

• Keri Hilson (yay)

• MGMT

• Silversun Pickups

• The Ting Tings

Best Pop Vocal Album

• The E.N.D. -The Black Eyed Peas

• Breakthrough -Colbie Caillat

• All I Ever Wanted -Kelly Clarkson

• The Fray – The Fray

• Funhouse – Pink

Best Rock Album

• Black Ice – AC/DC

• Live From Madison Square Garden – Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood

• 21st Century Breakdown – Green Day

• Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King – Dave Matthews Band (tough competition)

• No Line On The Horizon – U2

Best R&B Album

• The Point Of It All – Anthony Hamilton

• Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics – India.Arie

• Turn Me Loose -Ledisi

• Blacksummers’ Night – Maxwell

• Uncle Charlie – Charlie Wilson

Best Rap Album

• Universal Mind Control – Common

• Relapse -Eminem

• R.O.O.T.S. – Flo Rida

• The Ecstatic – Mos Def

• The Renaissance – Q-Tip

Best Country Album

• The Foundation – Zac Brown Band

• Twang – George Strait

• Fearless – Taylor Swift

• Defying Gravity – Keith Urban

• Call Me Crazy -Lee Ann Womack

I can’t do anymore but there are about 1,567 more categories on Grammy.Org

Fantasia got all jiggy on ‘em to attend BET’s 10th Anniversary Celebration of Gospel at the Orpheum Theatre in LA.  Her mom and a few other family members accompanied her to the awards.  BeBe Winans, Sherri Shepherd, Kelly Price, Sheryl Underwood, Elise Neal, Yvette Nicole Brown, Anthony Hamilton and his wife Tarsha were all in the building…

TGIF!!!

We all knew it would come to this at some point. Didn’t we? So what better way to celebrate this joyous occasion than with a little groove? So for your listening pleasure we here at UML has put together a few Jewelz to help get you there.

Erykah Badu – Think Twice

Goapele – Closer

Anthony Hamilton x David Banner – Cool

Amel Larrieux

The Jacksons – Give It Up

Marvin Gaye – Got To Give It Up

What's crackin'? Other than the crack in yo @ss!!!!

Foxxhole Radio is at it again on the tour across the US, in the hottest cities in or near you.  This episode is live from the Conga Room with Mark Curry sittin’ in with the crew and soul-singer Anthony Hamilton.

FYI, this episode is more live performance than the regular format of the show.

check it out…

Foxxhole Radio – Live at the Conga Room

Bryceness – Mr. Not-So-Nice Guy

The nominees have been announced for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards. The award ceremony will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 31, 2010. The ceremony will air on CBS that evening from 8-11:30 p.m.

Below is a list of nominees for some of the categories.

Record of the Year
Beyonce – “Halo”
The Black Eyed Peas – “I Gotta Feeling”
Kings Of Leon – “Use Somebody”
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”

Album of the Year
Beyonce – I Am…Sasha Fierce
The Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.
Lady Gaga – The Fame
Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
Taylor Swift – Fearless

Song of the Year
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
Maxwell – “Pretty Wings”
Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Kings Of Leon – “Use Somebody”
Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”

Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Adele – “Hometown Glory”
Beyonce – “Halo”
Katy Perry – “Hot N Cold”
Pink – “Sober”
Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
John Legend – “This Time”
Maxwell – “Love You”
Jason Mraz – “Make It Mine”
Seal – “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”
Stevie Wonder – “All About the Love Again”

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
The Black Eyed Peas – “I Gotta Feeling”
Bon Jovi – “We Weren’t Born to Follow”
The Fray – “Never Say Never”
Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Sara Smile”
MGMT – “Kids”

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Rosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen – “Sea Of Heartbreak”
Ciara & Justin Timberlake – “Love Sex Magic”
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat – “Lucky”
Willie Nelson & Norah Jones – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat – “Breathe”

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Herb Alpert – “Besame Mucho”
Bela Fleck – “Throw Down Your Heart”
Imogen Heap – “The Fire”
Maxwell – “Phoenix Rise”
Marcus Miller – “Funk Joint”

Best Pop Instrumental Album
Chris Botti – In Boston
Hiroshima – Legacy
Booker T. Jones – Potato Hole
The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman – Modern Art
Spyro Gyra – Down The Wire

Bets Pop Vocal Album
The Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.
Colbie Caillat – Breakthrough
Kelly Clarkson – All I Ever Wanted
The Fray – The Fray
Pink – Funhouse

Best Dance Recording
The Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow”
David Guetta & Kelly Rowland – “When Love Takes Over”
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
Madonna – “Celebration”
Britney Spears – “Womanizer”

Best Electronic/Dance Album
The Crystal Method – Divided By Night
David Guetta – One Love
Lady Gaga – The Fame
LMFAO – Party Rock
Pet Shop Boys – Yes

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Tony Bennett – A Swingin’ Christmas
Michael Buble – Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden
Harry Connick, Jr. – Your Songs
Liza Minnelli – Liza’s At the Palace
Willie Nelson – American Classic

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
Bob Dylan – “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”
John Fogerty – “Change in the Weather”
Prince – “Dreamer”
Bruce Springsteen – “Working on a Dream”
Neil Young – “Fork in the Road”

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood – “Can’t Find My Way Home”
Coldplay – “Life in Technicolor II”
Green Day – “21 Guns”
Kings Of Leon – “Use Somebody”
U2 – “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”

Best Hard Rock Performance
AC/DC – “War Machine”
Alice In Chains – “Check My Brain”
Linkin Park – “What I’ve Done”
Metallica – “The Unforgiven III”
Nickelback – “Burn It to the Ground”

Best Metal Performance
Judas Priest – “Dissident Aggressor”
Lamb Of God – “Set To Fail”
Megadeth – “Head Crusher”
Ministry – “Senor Peligro”
Slayer – “Hate Worldwide”

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Jeff Beck – “A Day in the Life”
Booker T. Jones – “Warped Sister”
Brad Paisley – “Playing With Fire”
Brian Setzer Orchestra – “Mr. Surfer Goes Jazzin’”
Steve Vai – “Now We Run”

Best Rock Song
Pearl Jam – “The Fixer”
U2 – “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”
Green Day – “21 Guns”
Kings Of Leon – “Use Somebody”
Bruce Springsteen – “Working on a Dream”

Best Rock Album
AC/DC – Black Ice
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood – Live From Madison Square Garden
Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
U2 – No Line on the Horizon

Best Alternative Music Album
David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Death Cab for Cutie – The Open Door
Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Melanie Fiona – “It Kills Me”
Lalah Hathaway – “That Was Then”
Ledisi – “Goin’ Thru Changes”
Jazmine Sullivan – “Lions, Tigers & Bears”

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Anthony Hamilton – “The Point of it All”
Maxwell – “Pretty Wings”
Musiq Soulchild – “Sobeautiful”
Pleasure P – “Under”
Charlie Wilson – “There Goes My Baby”

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Jamie Foxx & T-Pain – “Blame It”
India.Arie & Musiq Soulchild – “Chocolate High”
Musiq Soulchild & Mary J. Blige – “Ifuleave”
Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters – “Higher Ground”
Calvin Richardson & Ann Nesby – “Love Has Finally Come at Last”

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
Beyonce – “At Last”
Anthony Hamilton – “Soul Music”
Boney James & Quinn – “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”
Ann Nesby – “Sow Love”
Calvin Richardson – “Woman Gotta Have It”

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
The Foreign Exchange – “Daykeeper”
Robert Glasper & Bilal – “All Matter”
India.Arie & Dobet Gnahore – “Pearls”
Eric Roberson, Ben O’Neill & Michelle Thompson – “A Tale of Two”

Best R&B Song
Jamie Foxx & T-Pain – “Blame It”
Jazmine Sullivan – “Lions, Tigers & Bears”
Maxwell – “Pretty Wings”
Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Pleasure P – “Under”

Best R&B Album
Anthony Hamilton – The Point of it All
India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Maxwell – Blacksummers’ Night
Charlie Wilson – Uncle Charlie

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Beyonce – I Am…Sasha Fierce
Jamie Foxx – Intuition
Pleasure P – The Introduction of Marcus Cooper
Trey Songz – Ready
T-Pain – Thr33 Ringz

Best Rap Solo Performance
Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
Eminem – “Beautiful”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite”
Mos Def – “Casa Bey”

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Beastie Boys & Nas – “Too Many Rappers”
Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent – “Crack A Bottle”
Fabolous & Jay-Z – “Money Goes, Honey Stay”
Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common – “Make Her Say”
Kanye West & Young Jeezy – “Amazing”

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Beyonce & Kanye West – “Ego”
Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock You Down”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town”
The Lonely Island & T-Pain – “I’m On a Boat”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead And Gone”

Best Rap Song
Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead And Gone”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town”

Best Rap Album
Common – Universal Mind Control
Eminem – Relapse
Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S.
Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Q-Tip – The Renaissance

Best Female Country Vocal Performance
Miranda Lambert – “Dead Flowers”
Martina McBride – “I Just Call You Mine”
Taylor Swift – “White Horse”
Carrie Underwood – “Just A Dream”
Lee Ann Womack – “Solitary Thinkin’”

Best Male Country Vocal Performance
Trace Adkins – “All I Ask For Anymore”
Billy Currington – “People Are Crazy”
Jamey Johnson – “High Cost of Living”
George Strait – “Living For the Night”
Keith Urban – “Sweet Thing”

Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals
Brooks & Dunn – “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Zac Brown Band – “Chicken Fried”
Lady Antebellum – “I Run to You”
Rascal Flatts – “Here Comes Goodbye”
Sugarland – “It Happens”

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin – “Beautiful World”
Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally – “Down The Road”
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban – “Start A Band”
Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis – “I Told You So”
Lee Ann Womack & George Strait – “Everything But Quits”

Best Country Instrumental Performance
Alison Brown – “Under the (Five) Wire”
The Greencards – “The Crystal Merchant”
Sarah Jarosz – “Mansinneedof”
Steve Wariner – “Producer’s Medley”

Best Country Song
Trace Adkins – “All I Ask For Anymore”
Jamey Johnson – “High Cost of Living”
Lady Antebellum – “I Run to You”
Billy Currington – “People Are Crazy”
Taylor Swift – “White Horse”

Best Country Album
Zac Brown Band – The Foundation
George Strait – Twang
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Keith Urban – Defying Gravity
Lee Ann Womack – Call Me Crazy

For those who missed the Soul Train Music Awards 2009 tonight, here are videos of some of the night’s performances… Watch ‘em on Crosby Street TV

Slide Show 2009 Soul Train Awards

B.
valcone.net

I have rinsed this song too many times now ! But I love it so deep and meaningful. Always makes you think of that special person in your life, whether they are past or present…Sing it Anthony!!

R. Kelly. Bobby Brown. Ray J. Estelle. Sisqo. Russell Simmons. Shaggy. Damon Dash. M.I.A. Santigold. Kelis. T-Pain. Akon. All of these people have two things in common: 1) At one point, they were referred to by the New York Post as “rappers,” and 2) None of them are. You see how some of these might confuse people: how the sing-songy styles of M.I.A. and Akon could be mistaken as rapping for the uninitiated and hard-of-hearing, old white people who write the Post. T-Pain is a “rappa ternt sanga,” so that explains that. Bobby Brown has rapped (I mean, has a couplet finer than “Too hot to handle, too cold to hold / They called the Ghostbusters in they’re in control” since been spat?), Kelis, R. Kelly and Santigold have kind of, as well, I guess. Russell and Damon have worked around rap, so I guess they’re rappers by association?

The fact of the matter is that even if the case can be made that a few of these people could possibly write “rapper” on their resume, a more accurate title could be applied to any of them. (Someone like Kid Rock apparently is one of the few of the multi-hyphenate elite. Guess why!) I do not know for sure why they are called “rappers,” but I can make a few guesses. The Post still fetishizes rappers as the bad boys of the entertainment industry. The vast majority of its hip-hop coverage — I’d say just from the informal survey that I took to find the above examples of faulty labeling, 80 percent of it involves the rappers involved in some sort of crime. As silly as it is, the word “rapper,” still has sensationalistic value at the Post that “R&B star” or “dancehall artist” or “mogul,” just doesn’t. (Shit, they called Barbie a rapper, even though she was actually, Rappin’ and Rockin‘.)  Also, these people who have no idea what they’re talking about regarding pop culture, may hear about a (usually male) black recording artist and just assume that he is a rapper. I’m not saying that these people are racist (although, if they work for the Post, I’m not saying they’re not racist, either), but I am saying they’re lazy, ignorant and prone to stereotyping. That’s all!

The reason that I bring this up is that in Tuesday’s paper there was an item labeling Ne-Yo a rapper, which is the most egregious error of this sort yet. I think I’ve rapped more than Ne-Yo has. He’s a fucking crooner, you know? A singing, songwriting crooner. (I discovered through my research that this isn’t even the first time the Post has done that.) Seriously, Post, who’s next? Stevie Wonder? Miles Davis? Lenny Kravitz is part-black, so he must be part-rapper, too, right? And look, I understand factual errors. I make them often. I understand meaning one thing and typing another. But I don’t understand working at a national media outlet and just assuming in the place of fact-checking. That’s nonsense.

It’s not just the Post that does this, of course. Come, let’s laugh at the mistakes of what we can presume are stupid white people:

The L.A. Times is almost as bad as the Post, having referred to Marques Houston, John fucking Legend and Chris Brown as rappers.

At least they know how to retract.

Rolling Stone called Omarion a rapper. So much for music-industry authority.

Fucking Jet called Jodeci a “rap group,” once again proving that if you can fit a periodical in your back pocket, you should not trust it. (Sorry, Reader’s Digest.)

This one’s really, really bad: the New York Times referred to Mary J. Blige as a rapper. Granted, they were talking about the use of “411″ as slang, and she does rap on the title track of What’s the 411? On virtually every other track on that album and since (except for “Enough Cryin’”), she sings, though. It’s just what she’s built her career on. No biggie.

Ginuwine “keeps rap Ginuwine” according to the New York Daily News.

Oh, and I’ve mentioned R. Kelly, but it seems particularly fucked up that a Chicago publication like the Sun-Times would be referring to him as a rapper. Let me guess: house music is a form of country and western? It’s not even house music, in fact, it’s barn music.

The photo houses are really, really bad, too. WireImage says Mario…

…Keyshia Cole…

…and Lyfe Jennings…

…are all rappers (the Lyfe example is from Life magazine, but since WireImage did the shot, its fair to assume that the frequently erroneous company is responsible for the caption as well). Yeah, that’s not a guitar Lyfe plays — it’s a stringed turntable.

Getty, on the other hand, lists Anthony Hamilton…

…Trey Songz…

…and fucking Jamie Foxx…

…as rappers. You wonder if these people have ever heard any popular music ever. Isn’t there a nation of young, unemployed, pop-culture savvy graduates who would shit themselves for the opportunity to write even the most basic copy for an organization half as reputable as Getty?

But my favorite, favorite, favorite of all of these examples is this one about Usher:

That’s gorgeous, as irony goes. Really, really solid work, everyone. Oh, and since it’s from the Newswire, it’s basically a press release, so if you need a more reputable journalistic source for Usher’s status as a rapper, the Post has it covered, too. Good, old Post!

So basically the point is that just about every single male R&B singer of the past 10 years (and quite a few females) has been labeled a “rapper,” by sources that are more or less trusted. When in doubt, though, I think you should use your sense of hearing. It’s a much, much better source.

Props: FourFour

Beyonce stunned on them after taking three top prizes at the ceremony : Best Female R&B/ Soul artist,Song of the Year : Single Ladies, I Am… Sasha Fierce : Album of the Year.

Neither of them desserving the price, i was bewildered by the fact that she lost out on the “ Prestigious Record of the Year “ tittle that went to Jamie Foxx for T-pain autotune collaboration” Blame it”.Is that a joke ? I mean are they really serious ?Then they wonder why the music industry nowadays lacks soul on the top of being a corporate piece of trash.

Meanwhile Keri Hilson was a double winner walking away with the Best New Artist award and Best collaboration for Knock You Down, her hit with Kanye West and Ne-yo.

Soul star Maxwell, who was nominated in four categories, only managed to win one, for Best Male R&B/Soul Artist, beating competition from the likes of Robin Thicke and Raphael Saadiq.

Angie Stone, Erykah Badu and Fantasia collaborated with rap pioneer Melle Mel to honour Khan, singing her hits Through the Fire and Tell Me Something Good. 
They weren’t the only singers to bring the audience to their feet – Chico DeBarge, Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill and Estelle hit the stage with actress presenter Taraji P. Henson to belt out a medley of Motown hits to mark the label’s 50th anniversary.


The awards show, co-hosted by actor Terrence Howard, will air on U.S. TV on 29November (09).

More Pictures

Ray J was all up in Debra Lee’s (CEO of BET) ear saying some slick sh*t to her ear drums.  She looks like whatever he’s spittin’ is very soothing.  Look at Ray J getting them older panties WET like Dorny Park.  More images of them at the Soul Train Awards…

Lewis Hamilton would welcome Kimi Raikkonen as his new McLaren Mercedes team-mate, the British driver’s father Anthony Hamilton has confirmed.

2008 world champion Hamilton has until now stated his desire to keep Heikki Kovalainen alongside him, raising suggestions he does not want to be challenged by the occupant of the sister car.

“First, I want to say that neither Lewis nor myself have any influence on the decision,” Hamilton Snr told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

“But if I was deciding between Kimi and Heikki, I would go for Kimi,” he added, “even if I have nothing against Heikki.
We’ve always like him; he’s a great team-mate and does his job well.

“Kimi is a cool guy,” Anthony Hamilton added. “I think he is the prime candidate and the best driver to be at Lewis’ side in this team; they would push each other on.”

Reference: planetf1.com